Chris Christie Cashes In With Californians

image
Published: 17 May, 2013
1 min read
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (center) visits FEMA personnel // credit: Liz Roll (FEMA)

Chris Christie (center) visits FEMA personnel // credit: Liz Roll (FEMA)

In today's political climate, it's difficult to find a politician that voters of opposing political affiliations can agree on. Chris Christie, the Republican Governor of New Jersey, is quickly becoming one of those few politicians.

A poll from Public Policy Polling, released Wednesday, showed broad national  support for the 2016 presidential hopeful. Currently in the midst of a re-election campaign, Gov. Christie has struck a rare rapport with Republicans, Democrats, and especially Independents.

The PPP poll found Independents led both Democrats and Republicans in terms of favorability. Forty-five percent of Independents, compared to 41 percent of Republicans, and 40 percent of Democrats responded positively when asked, "Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Chris Christie?"

This surge of momentum has padded the Governor's campaign coffers significantly, with an unusual base of support coming in from California's tech industry. According to the Wall Street Journal, he raised over $590,000 from California residents alone; beating out donations from New York voters, who have contributed about $372,000 to date.

"Companies represented on the campaign filing included executives from Facebook, Pinterest Inc., LinkedIn Corp., Yahoo Inc.,  Zynga Inc, eBay Inc., and Dropbox filings show. Nine executives from Facebook made donations totaling more than $34,000. More than 75% of Mr. Christie's reportable contributions from California donors were $3,800, the maximum amount in New Jersey."
The current approval rating for Gov. Christie is a lofty 68 percent according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released last month. Whether or not he'll maintain his broader appeal with Democrats and Independents past November remains to be seen. In the meantime however, when money talks, Chris Christie listens.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read